Battle of Placenoit

The Battle of Placenoit (18 June 1815) was a major part of the Battle of Waterloo during the Napoleonic Wars. The Prussian IV Corps of Friedrich Wilhelm von Bulow fought over the strategic town of Placenoit on the French right flank against the corps of Georges Mouton, and although the French were initially pushed back, ten battalions of Young Guard troops arrived and pushed the Prussians back. The French suffered extremely heavy losses against only a small portion of Prussian troops.

Background
72,000 French troops under Emperor Napoleon I of France and 68,000 British, Dutch, Belgian, and German troops under the Duke of Wellington met in battle at the Belgian village of Waterloo, which became the site of a great battle that consisted of many smaller battles within it. Napoleon wasted away thousands of troops on his left flank in costly attacks on Hougoumont and La Haye-Sainte earlier in the day, and the British took over the French guns at La Belle-Alliance, leaving the Prussian army of 50,000 troops under General Gebhard von Blucher open to attack the French right, under General Georges Mouton.

Mouton, styled the Count of Lobau, was in command of one corps, but was reinforced by ten battalions of Young Guard regiments. The first Prussian troops to arrive were the IV Corps of Friedrich Wilhelm von Bulow, who was a talented general.

Battle
The French intercepted the Prussians before they could meet up with British and Dutch troops on the allied left flank at Papelotte, with Mouton bravely leading an attack. The Prussians drove the French back in a spirited bayonet charge before launching a spate of brave attacks on French Chasseurs at Frichermont. Napoleon sent ten battalions of Young Guard to aid the hard-pressed Mouton, who was able to repulse the Prussians. Placenoit was recaptured at a heavy cost, but more Prussian troops were to arrive soon after.